Now you may already have this information but I am going to give it to you now so you aren't trying to figure out what to do at the last second. The first thing you will see when she is giving birth is a "bubble" coming out. She will be licking a lot. When it comes out mommy should remove the sack that the puppy is in. If she does'nt you will need to remove the sack by tearing it . Start at the head and remove the puppy from the sack. If mommy hasn't chewed the cord off, use a hemostat to clamp between the puppy and the placenta. Then just pinch it on the placenta side. If it doesn't cut the cord, use the scissors on the PLACENTA side of the hemostats to cut the cord. Leave the hemostats in place for a few seconds then you can remove them. Then use the bulb syringe to clear the fluid from the puppies throat. Make sure to squeeze the bulb all the way BEFORE placing it in the puppies mouth to clear it. Then release the bulb to suck up any fluid. Pull it out of it's mouth and squeeze it again to clear the bulb, then insert it in the mouth again and release it to remove more fluid. Do the same for each nostril. Have your bf put some towels in the dryer to warm them up and use a warmed towel to rub the puppy vigorously to stimulate it. Let mommy lick as much as she wants, Place the puppy on one of mom's teats and let it nurse until she is ready for the next. Then place the first puppy in a warm spot while she delivers the next. A laundry basket with a towel in it works great.

PS if you don't have hemostats, you can tie the cord with dental floss, then cut on the side away from the puppy. (the placenta side)

Yes...thank you for helping Tara. When I saw her finally log on, I PM'd for someone to help her as I have no experience. Yeh, this is what TY is all about. Good luck Tara, now you have some great help here for you.

If anyone hasn't said it lately, I really appreciate everyone here. In the time of need so many step up to the plate to assist. KUDDOS TO ALL OF YOU!

Tara - you're gonna do great!

I'm gonna lurk in the background and "listen" and "learn." :)

I just got off the phone with a much calmed down Tara. She is going to do fine. Zoe is resting calmly. She may or may not wait for Mommy to come home. I am much releived to hear that she has free whelped 2 other litters prior to this one. So I have every confidence she will do fine.

That's great news. Thank you much for helping Tara. I'm sure everything will go fine. However, it's comforting for her to have an experienced member at her side. Can't wait for the big moment.

:bravo: Sonya for you excellent posts giving Tara a wealth of information she may (or may not) have had on hand from Wendy. You can never have too much information when it comes to helping these little mommies whelp. Yes, letting the newborn pup nurse inbetween births will not only give the pup vital early nutrition, but will also help to stimulate mom's contractions for the next pup.

Tara I am sure Zoe is feeling your calmness now and that is going to help her stay calm also. Maybe now she will be able to be confident enough to be able to have these puppies knowing you are there to help her even though her mommy (Wendy) could not be.

Good luck and hugs to you......we're all here with you and are here to help!

I also gave her my number so she can call me if she needs the help. I will keep my cell phone by my side.

You're a real peach, Sonya :). You're also a much better explainer of the details than I am. In Caty's case, she should have had her pups within the hour when I dropped her at the vet's. She held off for 8 hours to have them. It's amazing how important their state of mind is when it comes to birthing. This girl here may well hold off for hours waiting for her mom to come home. With the birth of our first child, my wife's labor stopped because she was so ill at ease with the doctor's and the place she was at. I actually packed her up and took her to another hospital 3 hours away. She then started her labor again and we had our first son.

Hang in there Tara, You'll be fine, you have many knowledgeable folks here to help you along. I don't know anything about whelping puppies, but will be here off n on for positive reinforcement and support. :goodluck:

Good job Tara. Youve got lots of experience here. Wow this thread really took a weird turn huh? Sending best wishes for a healthy birthing

Thanks Woogie (I don't know your name) I have a feeling Zoe may hold out for her mom. I think the reason she was shaking so much is the stress of labor and seeing her mommy leave. Now that she has calmed down she may just wait until Mommy comes home.

When I first joined, I never made a signature or an avatar. My name is Jim...nice to meet ya'. Will be interesting to see how long Zoe holds out. I think it'll be fine (for a while) as long as she's not in distress or presenting a bubble. It's a little more comforting to know it's not her first litter but still, what a thing to have happen.

Nice to meet you too Jim. I hope tara will come back on soon to update us.

Hi Jim. Is Woogie your nickname or is that your dog's name? Just curious. You need to get busy and make that avatar. :D

Hi Joanne. Woogie is the name of one of my little guys. He's a real clown..just full of it. He's registered as Dixie's Full Moon Boogie....so Woogie's a natural name for him. Here's a couple pics of Woogie.